On June 8, 2023, the final members of MBC’s current reality survival show Fantasy Boys, which aspired to form a twelve-member boy group, were unveiled, know about KSOUL and his real age
Fans were generally pleased with the premiere roster, however, they were upset that one competitor, KSOUL, made it.
KSOUL the debut member of Fantasy Boys was criticized for misrepresenting his age and making racist and fatphobic remarks.
Who is KSOUL Fantasy Boys debut member, why is his age problematic and cultural appropriation
ksoul is such an ace he was born 3 different times!!! https://t.co/U3HHgR1tsR pic.twitter.com/q2m6v0ull1
— ʚïɞ soyeon’s gf (real) ♤ (@lgbtjinho) June 8, 2023
After his first appearance on Fantasy Boys, many complained that they would have liked to see someone else in that role. Fans have used Twitter to voice their discontent with the idol’s membership in the group by trending the hashtag #KSOULOUT.
Know more about KSOUL controversies
Fantasy Boys, also known as My Teenage Boy premiered on March 30, 2023, and finished on June 8, 2023; it is the male counterpart to the reality survival show My Teenage Girl. The first season of the show had 55 candidates from all over the world, including the United States, China, South Korea, and Thailand.
KSOUL has stood out among the various competitors for all the wrong reasons. He is represented by PocketDol Studio. He was a member of the Chinese boy band Mu Ji Shao Nian. The star has also competed in Super Idol and We Are Young, two popular Chinese reality competitions. He only appeared in two months of Fantasy Boys, but he received a lot of criticism.
Using fat-shaming against his fellow Fantasy Boys contestants
His recent fat-shaming of other candidates Kim Woo-seok and Hikari caused a stir in the media. MBC revealed on June 1, 2023, previously unseen backstage footage of KSOUL, Hikari, Kim Woo-seok, and Yuma spending some time together. While presenting the camera Hikari’s photocard, Woo-seok mentioned that the trainee was known by a certain moniker at KSOUL.
Saying things like “fat chin” or “tone up” to encourage someone to lose weight. The candidates asked him his opinion on Hikari, adding fuel to the fire after his fatphobic remark about Kim Wooseok. After the incident, fans were dismayed because they saw how his comments had affected the other two candidates.
Faking Age controversies
His lying about his age has sparked the first major controversy surrounding Fantasy Boys’ KSOUL. Although he claimed to have been born in 2000 on his Fantasy Boys page, he listed two different ages on his profiles for the earlier survival shows he competed in, one declared 1998, the other 1997.
People continue to speculate about the idol’s real age because he hasn’t publicly addressed the topic. They were upset with him for hiding his true age, which seemed pointless to them.
Self-centered talk and resentment of other competitors
Fans considered his behavior insulting and annoying on multiple occasions throughout his tenure on the show. When the competitors were gathered in the arena, one of them, Sung Min, was complimented by a fellow trainee on how handsome he was.
KSOUL glanced toward Sung Min and kept on taking the mirror out of his pocket after hearing this. He then went on to lavish praise on his physical attributes. His fellow trainees and the audience regarded his behavior to be highly egotistical, and both groups were confused by it.